WiMax'ble pervasive cloud - Empowering next generation intelligent railway infrastructure

Abstract

One of the major expectation from any next generation Railway Intelligent Infrastructure will be to reduce track side infrastructure to an extent possible by empowering on-board infrastructure as this enhances operational efficiency while reducing cost. If a broadband technology is made available in a dynamic train environment that could address critical signaling and control system requirements as well as empowers the train passengers - with on-board broadband it will boost business avenues. Pervasive Cloud combines the Power of the Cloud through Pervasive Mobile access . WiMax empowered pervasive access could address critical signalling/control systems requirements while Pervasive cloud itself addressing demands of passengers including but not limited to voice and data services at high speeds, there by addressing the goals of next generation intelligent infrastructure for railways. This paper while giving a futuristic view of related work in our Labs, intends to argue that WiMax'ble Pervasive Cloud (WiMax empowered Pervasive Cloud) could probably be a right candidate to address the expectations and aspirations of a next generation intelligent infrastructure for Railways. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.